So for those of you that are my friend on Facebook, you'll know we moved Growly Bears crib into her room last night... It didn't go so well. Who would have thunk it?Yesterday she and I worked in her room all day long cleaning, organizing and junking it out. She seemed happy to be playing in there, and kept calling the faeries on the wall "pretty!" I was thinking this was a good sign! I couldn't have been more wrong!

She seemed to be having fun in her new room!

I was feeling really good about moving her. I was feeling like "it's time" and that I was ready for it. I miss watching TV in our room before bed. I miss being able to get ready for work in the morning in our room. I miss not having to silently fold and put away laundry in the dark if I happen to not get it done before bed time. I was feeling like I was ready to have our room back.So, when my hubby got home from work last night, I told him after dinner, we were moving her crib. He was shocked and not too thrilled about it. He wasn't ready to move her. He likes having her in with us. Plus, he told me he didn't think I was really ready. I argued with him and told him it was no big deal, and I was totally ready! Because he's the worlds best husband, he went along with it, and started the process.Turns out he may have been more right then me, becasue when I walked into our room and saw him taking her crib apart, I burst into tears and told him maybe I was wrong and we should wait. He looked at me like I was insane, and asked if I really wanted him to stop. I hummed and hawed and told him no, that it was now or never.So, an hour later, we had her cozy crib all set up and ready for her in her new room.At first she seemed kinda into it! She seemed to like her new space. She seemed happy to be in her bed.

It was all an act though! When it was time to actually settle down for the night and go to sleep, she was NOT cool with any of it. She wouldn't drink her bottle. Wouldn't cuddle. Wouldn't lay in her bed. Wouldn't calm down! This was (is!) for sure one of those times where I was wondering why on earth this little person didn't come with a freaking manual, cuz I had no flippin clue what I was doing!So, after an hour long freak out, we gave in, and my husband set up the Pack N'Play in our room, and we moved her in there. She happily finished her bottle, cuddled in, and went to sleep. And you know what? I was SO relieved she was where she was. I was so glad to go to bed a couple hours later and have her right there. And I was even thrilled when she woke up at 1:30am and asked to come into our bed with us.

My sweet sleeping baby girl

Turns out, my husband was right (*sigh* - how much do I HATE to admit that!). I'm not ready yet. Neither is she.We've agreed to go with baby steps for now, and just play it by ear. She's currently happily napping in her new room as I write this! No problem at all to get her to lay down and go to sleep. I will attempt bedtime in there again tonight, but if she decides she doesn't want to sleep in there, I will be not-so-secretly happy, and I'll move her to the Pack N'Play in our room.Some might call me a push over, and maybe I am. Some may say she rules the roost, that's OK, she does! A happy baby is all I care about, and if that means I take instructions from her (to a certain extent!), then that's just the way it is. It's all about give and take.Love and Hugs

I love my child more then anything in the world. You all know that I do. It's not even a question.Said child is going through some kinda sleep thing right now though... I don't know what's happening, but it sucks! She starts out the night great in her own bed. Once in a while she wakes up and needs help locating her sucky, or needs an extra cuddle, but for the most part, she's usually pretty happy in her own bed.Here's proof!

In case you can't quite see it, there's already a sucky in her mouth, and she's hanging onto her back up one for dear life.

However, a few weeks ago, she started waking up earlier and earlier in the night for her bottle, and refusing to go back to sleep in her own bed. Because I really like my sleep, and don't function well without it, I've been giving in, and letting her curl up between me and my hubby to fall back to sleep. We are now up to a 1am wake up (where she used to wake up at 5 or 6am for her bottle before going back to sleep).So last night, I thought "I'm the boss! She's staying in her own damn bed when she wakes up!" I tried, I really really did... I lost. She won.After an hour long freak out, where she made everyone in the surrounding villages know that her little world was ending, I gave in, and lay her down between us. She immediately had a great big sigh, curled her rotten little self into me, and fell into a deep sleep. She stayed there until 9:30 this morning!I've got far to much to do over the next few days to go through that every night, so for now, she gets her way. She can wake up and come into our bed. But next week, Ooooh! There will be some changes around here! (Yeah I know. I talk tough now... we'll see how it all plays out though!)Speaking of lots to do around here, tomorrow night is the big night! And by big night, I mean my girlfriend and I are tackling this outrageous 3 layer cake that I found online and want to make for the Birthday Extravaganza that's taking place on Sunday! (Hopefully I don't have an Ugly Cake repeat....)And speaking of Sunday, pretty please do a little sun dance, say a little prayer, have a tiny chat with Mother Nature, whatever your method of communication is with the Weather Gods is, for me and request blue sky and warm sunshine for our party day! I've been chatting with dead relatives, thinking positively, crossing my fingers and toes, and stalking the long term weather forecast obsessively for the past 5 days HOPING that we will have good weather and I won't have to change our "Outdoor Garden Party" plans at the last moment due to a torrential downpour. It'd probably cry. And then drink heavily. And then maybe vomit from the excessive drinking. Not really the way I want to spend Growly Bear's 1st Birthday party. So for the love of all that is holy, PLEASE let there be sunshine! (*Lollipops and Rainbows, Everything that's wonderful....*)With any luck you'll sign in tomorrow night and read about how extraordinarily well cake decorating went, and I won't have some horribly embarrassing story that will bring you all fits laughter and me shame and tears.

To completely change the subject, (Look! A squirrel!) I made some kick ass Mac & Cheese last night, and I've included the recipe for all my faithful readers, who, by the way, have brought my blog to #21 overall, and #3 in the humor category! How cool is that!?! Thank you everyone!!!Love and Hugs

1) Boil macaroni for 5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.2) Melt butter over medium high in a large sauce pan. Add flour, and whisk until thick and smooth. Slowly add milks, and continue whisking. 3) Bring to a slow boil, and allow to thicken for about 1 minute, whisking the entire time.4) Lower heat to medium low, and whisk in mustard5) Switching to a wooden spoon, stir in cheeses. Continue stirring until until cheddar cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat.6) In a large metal mixing bowl, pour in half the cooked macaroni. Pour half the cheese sauce over, and gently fold together using a spatula. Add remaining macaroni and cheese sauce and gently stir until just combined.7) Pour Mac & Cheese into a greased 9x12 baking dish, and set aside.8) Melt butter in a non stick frying pan. Add bread crumbs, and saute until browned (7-10 mins). Stir with a wooden spoon frequently so they don't burn.9) Sprinkle bread crumbs over Mac & Cheese, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly

Happy March everyone! Don't quite know where February went?Sorry for my lack of posts over the past couple weeks. The truth is, I've just been too tired! Growly Bear has decided she no longer finds it necessary to sleep, and would instead like to talk, and play, and sing, and kick at all hours of the night.We were always the parents that all the other parents hated. Growly Bear has been an amazing sleeper since the moment she was born. Our first night with her in the hospital, she slept for 5 hours straight before waking up to eat and going right back to sleep. I remember the nurse laughing when I said maybe we lucked out and got a good sleeper. She said it was only because she was so new, and not to expert it to happen again any time soon.She was wrong! By the time we were allowed to go home 2 days later, she was sleeping almost 6 hours stretches, would wake and get a new diaper, eat, and go right back to sleep. Over the next few months, she lengthened her sleep to 7 hours, then 8. Pretty soon we were at 10, and before we knew it, she was sleeping about 14-15 hours a night, with only 1 or 2 quick wake ups to eat before going back to sleep.I always felt bad when other new parents would ask us how we were handling the sleep deprivation. The first few times we were asked, I kinda laughed and asked "WHAT sleep deprivation?" I quickly learning, that's not the ideal response to a new mom who's been awake every 2-3 hours, every single night, for the past 4 months straight. Tired eyes can throw the scariest stink eye I've ever seen!So, I learned to be diplomatically down-play our jackpot of an amazing little sleeper, and would usually answer that we were very fortunate to have a pretty good sleeper on our hands, and we were all adjusting well. When in all reality, I was thanking my lucky stars for my 10:00am sleep ins that Growly Bear and I enjoyed every morning.In January though, things started to change. One night, she woke up at 2am and refused to go back to sleep! That was a first. So, my hubby and I took turns walking her up and down the hall while singing to her until she fell asleep over an hour later. Then, a couple times, she woke up at 5am and refused to go back to sleep! Luckily, my hubby took that shift and got up with her while I went back to sleep. In my cranky, tired mind, I was thinking it was a good thing too seeing as I'd done all the night time feedings since she was born. Honestly though, I was very thankful for him!Then, she gradually started waking up earlier in the morning. One day her 10am wake up turned in to 9:30am. Then a couple days later it was 9am. And within a couple weeks, our days were now starting at 7am! This wouldn't be so bad, except she took to waking up 2-3 times a night, and would wake up tired and cranky, and refuse to sleep, and didn't want to nap later either. I blamed it on teething, so a couple weeks ago when a tooth finally popped through, I thought "Thank god! We're going to get back to normal!" NOPE! Far from it. Only different is, she's waking up happy now, and napping well, so I'm thankful for that, but I really just want a good nights sleep where I don't have to wake up at midnight, and 2am, and 4am, and then start my day at 7am! I did get this last night (the sleep in, not the full nights sleep - I was still up at 11:30pm quickly, 12:30am for an hour, 5am for an hour, and then she woke up for good at 7:08am!) But luckily, being Saturday, her daddy was home and got up with her. So, this mommy woke up feeling much more refreshed then I have been the past few weeks. It's now past my bedtime though, so this sleepy mommy better head to bed. Fingers crossed we get a good nights sleep! Love and Hugs

Author

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_I'm
an unorganized, wanna be neat freak. I love my husband and my baby
girl, jeans with the "comfort" waistband, online shopping, cheesy 80's
tunes and anything chocolate. On a good day I'm kinda awesome. On a bad
day, not so much.